By Peter Ayoade
The lawmaker representing Iseyin/Itesiwaju/Kajola/Iwajowa federal constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon. Shina Peller has commiserated with the family of victims that lost their lives and those that sustained degrees of injury in the Lekki Toll Gate peaceful protest in Lagos on Tuesday.
He expressed his concerns and also got his voice registered on the event through his verified Facebook account.
The full message:
I sympathize with the families and victims of the #EndPoliceBrutality protesters who lost their lives or were injured during the peaceful protests against police brutality, harassment & general quality of life especially the events that occurred on yesterday 20-10-20. It is indeed a sad moment for our country and a sad period for our democracy.
However, I am encouraged by what I have witnessed in the last week regarding how our youth and well meaning Nigerians have united around a common cause irrespective of political, religious or social differences. This truly proves that our motto – Unity and Faith, Peace and Progress is valid. We have demonstrated how powerful our unity can be. Indeed if the young people in Nigeria are united we are truly unstoppable.
But in the face of oppression, let’s continue to have FAITH that PROGRESS is still possible. Let’s have Faith that the struggle will lead to the country of our dreams.. We must not lose hope.
However, in order to make PROGRESS, we need to allow PEACE be restored all over the land. Therefore, I am appealing to everyone of us, as hard as it may seem at this time, to embrace PEACE. I want to urge the leaders and influencers of the protests especially those in the entertainment industry to encourage everyone to remain calm in the face of provocation and give peace a chance. We must differentiate ourselves from hoodlums and looters. Indeed, we are not the hoodlums should be our watchword.
One of the safest ways we can achieve Progress is through our Legislative arm – the National Assembly – which must be a true representation of the people. And regarding a viral video of me at the National Assembly and the events that occurred yesterday whilst I was trying to speak in the House of Reps regarding the EndSars protests, I thank you all for the numerous calls and concern.
I will shortly be issuing a joint statement with a few of my colleagues, the Young Parliamentarians. The Young Parliamentarians Forum will work actively to ensure the voices of our Youth continue to be heard. We will not rest in the pursuit of Justice, Fairness and Purposeful Representation. Thank you all for your love and support. God bless our country.
